Flushing-tank.



B.. G. ELLIOTTI4 FLUSHING TANK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 11, 1908,

Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

FIF.

FLUSI-IINGr-TANK.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT Gr. ELLIOTT, citizen of the United States, residing at Peoria,.in the county of Peoria and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Flushing-Tanks; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to flushing tanks and pertains more particularly to a valve and float mechanism therefor.

An objecty of the invention is to provide a peculiarly arranged means by which noise of iniiowing water will be completely eliminated.

A further object is to provide a float and valve mechanism in which the valve has a full opening until the tank is quite or nearly filled.

A further object is to provide a float and valve mechanism in which said valve will have a full opening' until the inflowing water reaches substantially its normal level in the tank at which time said valve will be instant-ly closed by the float.

A still further object is to provide a valve which will have a full opening until the water reaches substantially its normal or proper level and to combine mechanism therewith including a float which will cause said valve to maintain substantially its full opening until the water has reached substantially said normal or proper level at which time the said float will at once close said valve.

As usually constructed the float and valve mechanism of closet tanks is such that the instant the water leaves the tank the valve is opened by the fall of the float, thereby permitting a full head of water to flow into said tank from the supply pipe. Said float then immediately begins to rise and continues its upward motion, slowly closing the valve, until the tank is full. Under a full head of water and particularly at a high pressure the smaller the valve opening becomes the more resistance there is to its entrance and a hissing noise is the result, which increases as the float nears its highest position. It is with a view of eliminating this noise that I have devised the apparatus about to be described. It is well known that this noise is not merely local but extends to Specification of Letters Patent.

Application led January 11, 1908.

Patented Mar. Y, IQL

sei-iai No. 410,431.

distant parts of the building in which the closet is stationed, by the conductance of the pipes connected with the closet and tank. I have found that by holding the valve wide open during practically the entire time of filling the tank there is no noise and I have so arranged the float that its entire movement is but a fraction of an inch between its extreme positions and that the full movement imparted to the valve is almost instantaneous.

To the end that my device may be understood I, have provided the accompanying drawing in which- Figure l is a vertical section of a closet tank and its valve and supply pipe showing my improved float mechanism. Fig. 2 is an elevation in part section of parts of the mechanism shown in Fig. l. Fig. 3 shows the underside of the iioat, and Fig. 4 is an elevation of a plunger employed in the valve.

A represents the tank having the usual supply pipe B with its air chamber C. Connected as usual with said pipe B, within the tank, is a valve consisting of the shell l) having an opening at E constituting an outlet into the tank. The valve is provided with a central bore F extending through a central tubular portion G constituting the valve-seat upon which a plunger II is adapted to rest, this having a suitable packing J, for instance of rubber or other suitable yielding material, to form a water tight joint, the plunger II being properly guided in the upper constricted portion K of the valve. I desire to state, however, that this form of valve and plunger is common to some forms of tanks and I do not make any claim thereto and it may be stated that other approved forms of valve may be employed, I having merely shown this form to illustrate the application of my device.

The plunger is provided with a central vertical slot L within which is the rounded end M of a single rigid lever N. The lat-ter,

as shown in the figures, is made, for pur- 4 poses of convenience, in the form of the letter J. Said lever, near its opposite end, is pivoted at O upon a rigid arm l? secured to or cast with the valve or some other stationary member, while the immediate eX- tremity of the lever is preferably bifurcated or forked as at Q, Fig. 3, each of whose extensions is connected through a link R with a lug S on the ball or float A Extending up from the bottom of the tank is a vertical rod T firmly and rigidly supported in a footing U secured to said tank in any good manner, said rod extending as high as desired.

In F ig. l the float is partially broken away in order to show the interior const-ructon, there being a tube V extending centrally therethrough and soldered at each end or otherwise closed so as to render the float air tight, the ends of the tube opening at diametrically opposite sides through said ioat. The tube has an interior diameter slightly more than the diameter of the rod which it is designed to receive and upon which the float is guided vertically.

In Fig. 3 it is to be observed that one ot' the lugs S is placed at each side of the rod T so that there will be an equal pull of the lever upon the ioat thereby eliminating as much as possible any side strains which would otherwise tend to cause the float to bind on said rod. However, other means of connection may be employed and other methods of guiding the float may be employed. In one side of the portion K of the valve is a notch K coinciding with the slot L of the plunger l-I for permitting entrance of the extremity M oi the lever N into the latter, which notch serves also to guide the lever in its vertical movements.

In F ig. l the float is shown in its highest 'position7 the short end ot' the lever being thereby raised, its long end at the valve being depressed to vrtContact with and hold the plunger upon the valve-seat. Bypivoting the lever with a short and a long end as shown it is evident that a very small vertical movement of the float will impart a movement of considerable extent to the long end of the lever at the valve so that to produce a. movement ot the plunger through, say a distance substantially equal to the diameter of the bore F of the valve, a very small movement only of the iioat is necessary, for instance, from one-fourth to three-eighths of an inch, I having found this to be sutlicient for the Yoperation of, the device as constructed. As

the level of the water lowers at the time of emptying the tank the float by its own weight naturally falls until the lever strikes a stop I on the arm I), the valve at that time being given its full opening by raising the plunger.

In F ig. 2 the two extreme positions of the float is illustrated, one shown in broken lines and the other in full lines, the valve The movement of the portion M of the lever is necessarily in an arc described from the fulcrum at O, the slot L in the plunger H allowing for this movement. The iioat being heavier than the long end of the lever and the plunger,

raises both and sustains them in the raised position permitting a full opening of the valve until the water is within a fraction of an inch of its proper level. The float has not been affected up to this time but remains supported in the air by resting upon the stop Pf until the water has come up around it and it has immersed such a bulk thereof as to overcome the force of gravity at which time the ioat almost instantly rises due to the continuous quick inflow of the small amount of water under head, needed at the.

found that within thirty seconds from the time the tank is emptied it has again been lilled due to the large opening, and with no attendant noise.

It is not my intention, of course, to be confined to the exact structure shown but merely to provide a mechanism that will maintain a full opening of the valve until the tank is quite or almost filled and then immediately close it.

Having described my invention, I claim:

l. The combination with a flushing tank and an inlet valve, of a float to control the latter arranged to have a limited vertical movement at substantially the highest level of the water, a lever having the float at one end and the valve at the other, and a support for that end of the lever having the float.

2. The combination with a flushing tank and an inlet valve, of a iioat in control ot' the valve and stationed at the highest water level in said tank and arranged to have an extent of vertical movement at said level substantially the same as that of the valve, a lever having the float in operative engagement therewith at one end, and having the valve in engagement with its other end, and a support for the end of said lever nearest the iioat.

3. The combination with a flushing tank and an inlet valve, of a iioat to control the valve and arranged to have a limited vertical movement at substantially the highest water level in vsaid tank,` the extent of such movement being substantially equal only to the movement of the valve, a lever carrying the loat at one end, and the valve at the other, a support on which the lever is pivotally carried at its end nearest the iioat, and means to limit the movement of the float.

et. In a device of the class described, the combination of a tank and its supply pipe, a valve to control the supply of water admitted through said pipe, a tloat, a pivoted lever having a long and a short arm, its short arm having connection With the float, its long arm controlling the valve, means to limit the movement of the float and a guide for the latter.

5. The combination of a closet tank and its supply pipe, a valve to control the opening of the latter, a lever having a long and a short arm, the long arm' having Connection with the said valve for controlling it, a float, a guide for the same, means to loosely conneet the float and the short arm of the lever, there being` provision to limit the movement of the lever and float.

6. The Combination with a flushing tank and an inlet valve, of a oat in control of the Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

valve and sustained at the highest Water level in said tank, and adapted for a vertical movement substantially equal to the movement of the valve, a lever in engagement with the valve at one end and having the lloat at the other enel, a Support on which the lever is pivoted at its end nearest the float, and a stop to limit the movement of the valve and the iioat.

In testimony whereof I altix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT G. ELLIOTT.

lVitnesses E. J. ABERsoL, L. M. THURLOW.

Washington, I). C. 

